Engine accessory



Jan. 28, 1936. A, COPONY ENGINE ACCESSORY Filed Jan. 19, 1933 fnuenioz".

Patented Jan. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE ACCESSORYAlfred Copony, Mount Clemens, Mich.

Application January 19, 1933, Serial No. 652,513 Claims. (o1.1s4-6) Myinvention relates to a combination of a centrifugal oil cleaning and oilcooling fan that embodies three highly desirable functions in one motoraccessory, the fan. i

" 5 Filters of various types and designs have been used in connectionwith automobile engines and internal combustion engines of larger typewithout giving entire satisfaction since none of the filter mediums usedcan be made of fine enough mesh and structure to extract theobjectionable small particles of carbon that accumulate in the oilduring use. If the filter cloth is dense enough it is liable to becomeplugged by the larger carbon particles thereby impeding the passage ofsmaller '15 carbon particles and oil through the filter cloth and thefilter becomes inoperative in a very short time, so that most of thefilters confine themselves to the extraction of metal shavings and vdirt only. In the centrifugal portion of my invention evenmicroscopically small carbon particles are extracted by centrifugalforce from the oil and deposited as a semi-solid sludge on theperipheral inside surface of mycentrifuge. is a very important functionsince the majority of large carbon particles in oil are an agglomerationof small carbon particles which interlock which generates on hot summerdays on long sus- V tained high speed driving has the tendency to lose agood part of its lubricating qualities by loss of viscosity so that itis important to cool this oil for better engine operation and this alsois accomplished by my centrifugal oil separator since it is in thedirect air blast generated by the fan of the engine and therefore fillsthis function admirably.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 shows a vertical cross section through my fan including aportion of the fan bracket, with the shaft of the fan left whole.

Figure 2 shows a right hand end view of Figure 1 with the oil lineconnections in place but without the fan blades.

Figure 3 is a left hand view of a cross section of Figure 1 taken in aplane slightly forward of the plane of the leading edges of the fanblades.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section through anr 7 other formof mycentrifuge, while Figure 5 shows a schematic side view of an engine withmy fan attached in position. My construotionshows a fan bracket l whichThis can be attached inits lower portion in any desirable manner to anengine. It is split vertically in its upper portion and drawn togetherby a cross tie bolt 26 Figure 2, so that it forms a snug fit around thesmooth offset portion of the fan shaft 2. Fan shaft 2 is equipped withan end nut 21 shown in the right portion of Figure 1 and has a ballbearing l I mounted by press-fit on an enlarged portion of the shaftwhich in turn supports a press-fit mounted fan pulley l2. Fan shaft 2contains two axially parallel bores; one of which is'the inlet axialbore. 6 extending two thirds of the length of the shaft and connects.with an inlet cross bore 4 in the center of the fan bracket hearingwhich in turn connects with inlet pipe connection 5 and that in turnwith oil inlet pipe 3 on the right side of Figure 2. A cross boreforming a discharge nozzle 22 inside the centrifuge permits egress ofthe incoming oil from inlet axial bore 6 into the centrifuge. Inletaxial bore 6 is plugged at the threaded end of the shaft by a plug Ishown in Figure 2. Outlet axial bore l0 extends from the inside end ofthe shaft to the center of the fan bracket I where it is connected by anoutlet cross bore 8, Figure 2, to outlet pipe connection 9 and therewithto outlet pipe I4. The semi-globular hollow centrifuge body l3 made ofheat conducting metal is screwed by means of threads ll to pulleythreads l8 and securedagainst oil leakage by centrifuge gasket 19,Figure l. A r

ball bearing gasket20 made of leather or other suitable material coversthe ball bearing H on the side of the centrifuge and is flanged on theinside where it bears against a cone shaped portion of fan shaft 2. oilpressure when in motion. Fanrblades l5 are fastened by means of rivetsto fins I6 on the centrifuge. A bar socket 2| in fan pulley l2 providesmeans for unscrewing centrifuge and pulley when required. For easyaccess in cleaning a screw plug 29 is provided in the centrifuge wall,Figure 3, which is large enough in its opening to permit a round Wirebrush to clean the walls when necessary. Another form of my constructionis shown in Figure 4 where centrifuge as well as shaft are revolving. Inthis case circular oil grooves 3| are provided in both, bearing andshaft, to take the oil through the stationary bearing into and from therevolving shaft and oil proof washers 32 are used to keep the oil fromleaking out. V

In operation oil line 3, Figure 5, leading from the pump 23 to inletpipe connection 5, Figure 2, will conduct oil from the pump 23, Figure5, to inlet axial bore 6 and from there it will be sprayed It is held inplace by the 2'.

against the rotating wall of centrifuge l3, through discharge nozzle 22.As the fan is rotating, driven by the fan pulley l 2 the incoming oilwill be subjected to the action of centrifugal force and the carbonparticles, dirt, grit and chips of metal will separate out and becomeembedded in the solid sludge forming on the centrifuge wall. As soon asthe centrifuge is filled with oil, the pressure exerted by the pump willhave a tendency to force the oil near the tip of the centrifuge intooutlet bore ll] of shaft 2 from where it then will return to outlet pipeI 4 and be conducted to the bearings to be oiled, afterwards collectingin the sump 28 of the engine 25, Fig. 5, from which it will be taken bysuction line 24 of the pump 23 in order to repeat the cycle. Due to thefact that air is forced through the radiator by the fan blades l5, thestream of radiator-warmed air will strike the tip of centrifuge l3 whereit will be diverted over the whole hot surface of the centrifuge therebyacting as cooling agent for the oil and sludge inside the centrifuge.This method functions efiiciently since the tip of the centrifuge facingthe radiator is struck by the coolest portion of the air, while thelarge diameter of the centrifuge which is cooled less elfectively by theheated air is struck by the hot oil coming from the discharge nozzle sothat temperature differences in all portions of the centrifuge will beeffectively used.

My construction lends itself to a variety of modifications withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

I can change the form of my centrifuge provided the construction of theautomobile permits the use of a more oblong parabolic form ofcentrifuge, thereby decreasing the wind resistance (streamlining). I mayfurther provide an opening in the radiator commensurate to the crosssection of my centrifuge thereby permitting the drawing in of air ofnormal temperature to more efficiently cool the surface of thecentrifuge without departing from the spirit of my invention. In theoperation of my centrifuge I am not limited to the fan shaft for theapplication of my device, as any fast moving shaft of the engine willact with in certain limits just as well and efficiently.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as my own, is:

1. In a centrifuge for the purification of oil in internal combustionengines, the combination of a rotating shell actuated by said engine,means on the outside periphery of said shell to create a current of airover the surface of said shell when said engine is in operation, meansfor admission of polluted oil of said engine into said shell, and meansto extract the purified oil from said shell. W 2. Ina centrifuge for thepurification of oil in internal combustion engines, the combination of arotating shell actuated by said engine, means on the outside peripheryof said shell to create a current of air over the surface of said shellwhen said engine is in operation, means in said shell to extract thesludge deposit formed by said cleaning operation when the engine is atrest, means for admission of polluted oil into said shell, and means forextracting the purified oil from said shell when said engine is inoperation.

3. In a centrifuge for the purification and cooling of oil, thecombination of a rotatable shell, a shaft for said shell, means in saidshaft for the admission of polluted and discharge of cleaned oil, and afan mounted on said centrifuge adapted to draw air through the normalradiator of a motor and over the surface of said rotatable shell.

4. In a system for the purification and cooling of oil, the combinationof a fan normally adapted to draw air through the radiator of a motorvehicle, and a hub on said fan adapted to the cleaning of oil bycentrifugal action and the cooling of said oil by the air currentcreated by said fan.

5. In a system for the purification and cooling of oil, the combinationof a fan normally adapted to draw air through the radiator of a motorvehicle, a hub on said fan adapted to the cleaning and cooling of oil bycentrifugal action and the air current created by said fan over saidhub, and a plugged opening in the periphery of said hub to remove thedirt accumulated in said hub of said fan when said fan is at rest.

ALFRED coroNv.

